Offbeat GM's Next Battle With Ford: Really Big Pickups

14:06 17 may 2018

14:06 17 may 2018 Source:
online.wsj.com

Ford to resume production of popular F-Series pickups

<p>Ford is resuming production of its F-Series trucks, ending assembly line shutdowns at two of its most important plants that have lasted more than a week.</p>Returning to full production is likely to take some time, as the automaker has scrambled to re-establish manufacturing of critical components from a supplier.

“One should never discount the contribution of GMC to our pickup strategy,” said GM spokesman Jim Cain. Agreed. But I have to wonder if this is really just a battle of the rebates. Like I wrote earlier today, GM and Ford look reasonably prepared for a fuel spike, but could FCA survive a 30+% drop in

GM is fighting a losing battle . These pickups will offer a true intermediate capability that the Big 2 and Fiat Ram can't match. @BAF0, The topic is GM ' s next gen HD, Ford and Ram. They are made in USA. Mexico make good Ford GM and Ram pickups too.

A strong economy and the December tax overhaul are helping lift sales of commercial vehicles, mainly pickup trucks and delivery vans used by general contractors, farmers and other skilled trades, auto dealers say. While Ford has for years had a sizable lead in the battle for business customers, with its F-Series pickup, GM later this year plans to reintroduce a so-called medium-duty commercial truck, a category the auto giant abandoned around the time of its 2009 bankruptcy.

When will Ford run out of F-150s?

Ford says it has an 84-day supply of the F-150 it has stopped building due to a fire at a supplier's plant. But shortages could happen well before that.Load Error

Pickup Battle Royale on the horizon. GM advances in pickup segment, but competition from Ford and Ram is still stiff. 2016 Ford F-150 Limited. "We think we're going to have a really strong February and [are] He says GM won't offer big incentives in part because it has relatively lean inventories.

Together, the GM and Ford pickups account for nearly 10 percent of total U. S . vehicle sales. DETROIT: General Motors Co offered a sneak peek on Saturday of the next generation Chevrolet Silverado pickup , designed to haul big payloads of profits for the automaker when it launches next

Get news and analysis on politics, policy, national security and more, delivered right to your inbox

The beefy new Chevrolet Silverados will be built under an agreement with truck maker Navistar International Corp. at a plant in Springfield, Ohio. The trucks are as much as three times as heavy as a regular Silverado, and users convert them into everything from dump trucks to ambulances.

GM’s return to the segment reflects Detroit’s sharper focus on trucks and sport-utility vehicles as demand for passenger cars recedes. GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV are adding new truck models in a bid to boost profits. Big pickup trucks and the SUVs that share the same frames generate both the majority of global profit at the companies and offer fatter profit margins than cars, analysts estimate.

Ford is scrambling to limit the impact of stopping F-Series production

Ford is facing the daunting prospect of seeing a major drop in the supply of its best selling and most profitable vehicle, the F-150 pickup truck. Final assembly of the F-150 is crippled by the lack of critical components after a fire knocked out production at a supplier's plant in Michigan.Tuesday afternoon the United Automobile Workers union alerted members who build the F-150 at the Dearborn Truck Plant that production could be stopped later this week. "The company doesn't know when or for how long we will be down," wrote Burkie Morris of the UAW in a letter to members.

General Motors and Ford will have two very different strategies for the next generation of new Let The Mid-Size Pickup Battle Begin: Ford Reveals 2019 Ranger To Take On Chevrolet Colorado. GM has been turning out some really nice products, but so is everybody! There are really no “bad”

Whats so big about compact PICKUPS ? Compact pickups are sometimes looked down upon by the rest of truck buyers. So why exactly is Ford not bringing a small pickup here, while GM is? That means the compact pickup battle will be on in 2014, but without Ford taking on Chevy, Nissan

Ed Peper, head of GM’s fleet business, believes the return of the medium-duty Silverado truck to GM’s lineup will bring back business customers who defected to Ford. “We’ve been losing customers because we don’t have this,” Mr. Peper said.

John Ruppert, general manager of Ford’s commercial sales, is confident Ford can protect its medium-duty business because it has strong relationships with business customers and the companies that convert the trucks for specific use.

Ford and GM are going after customers like Fred Hollmann, owner of a landscaping company near Cincinnati. Mr. Hollmann said he plans to buy several pickup trucks through next year to update his fleet of about 50 vehicles. Business is strong, and his lower taxes have improved cash flow, he said, while provisions in the tax law allow business owners to fully write down the depreciation of a heavy truck the same year it was purchased, an incentive Mr. Hollmann said he plans to utilize.

Ford will halt all production of its popular F-150 pickups

With key components about to run out, Ford is pulling the plug on production of its most profitable and popular model, the F-150.With key components about to run out, Ford (F) is pulling the plug on production of its most profitable and popular model, the F-150, late Wednesday evening.

But the competition will be even more heated in 2018 as Ford , General Motors and FCA US pursue new "What's interesting is that all three pickups are really deviating from each other. Alan Batey, president of GM ' s North America operations, said the automaker' s next -generation pickup will have

“We’ve got several trucks that have just gone by the wayside and need to be replaced,” Mr. Hollmann said.

The medium-duty truck segment is relatively small—there were about 150,000 sold last year, according to Columbus, Ind.-based ACT Research Co. But buyers tend to be big spenders and typically purchase many types of vehicles from the same auto maker, said Steve Tam, an ACT vice president. Medium-duty trucks, which are more customizable than other types of trucks, can go for more than $60,000, plus hefty conversion costs.

Ford is the segment’s major player, with about 45% market share, according to ACT. But GM will face other competitors too, including Fiat Chrysler’s Ram division, Daimler AG’s Freightliner brand and Isuzu Motors Ltd., which have been adding features to make the trucks more capable and easier to use.

Ring’s End, a Connecticut lumber supplier for high-end homes, switched to Ford for medium-duty trucks when GM left the market, said Scott Herling, a sales manager. The company “is excited to have another option,” he said.

GM’s overall commercial business suffered after bankruptcy, which scared away some customers. GM’s sales to business customers plummeted to about 165,000 vehicles in 2012, down by nearly half from 2006.

Alden Ehrenreich, the actor playing young Han Solo in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” got pranked by none other than original Han Solo himself. Actor Harrison Ford recently snuck up on Ehrenreich during an interview with “Entertainment Tonight.”“You’re shitting me,” Ehrenreich said as Ford appeared next to him. “Oh my God.”“Get out of my chair,” Ford deadpanned. “Get out of my life!” Ford then gushed about Ehrenreich’s performance in the role he originated, calling it “spectacular.” Even “Solo” director Ron Howard was surprised by the extent of the praise. “I have to say, I’ve known Harrison a long time,” Howard told ET.

The GM mids should really help them with the combined numbers. They are not going after traditional truck buyers, but car and SUV buyers. General Motors sold more pickups than the Ford Motor Company. Ford and Ram are losing the battle big time!

The medium-duty Silverados will be the biggest vehicles GM sells, though it will leverage other parts of its truck business. For example, the cabin—typically no frills—will be similar to the interior of a regular Silverado, with creature comforts like Wi-Fi and Apple Car Play.

Keith McCluskey, a Cincinnati Chevrolet dealer, was a major medium-duty truck seller before GM killed the line. He has already fielded calls from customers eager to check out the new one, but he believes winning back business from Ford will be tough.

“I don’t think it’ll be easy just to turn it back on,” he said.

Write to Mike Colias at Mike.Colias@wsj.com

Related video from WSJ: GDPR: What Is It and How Might It Affect You?

Your browser does not support this video

Is it time to freak out about oil prices? .
Maybe not -- at least according to some thinking on Wall Street that sees the ultimate impact as somewhat limitedCrude oil has zoomed above $71 a barrel, returning to levels not seen since late 2014 and pushing up pump prices. Along the way, traders' stomachs were churned by some nasty whipsaw action heading into the announcement.

Similar from the Web

“One should never discount the contribution of GMC to our pickup strategy,” said GM spokesman Jim Cain. Agreed. But I have to wonder if this is really just a battle of the rebates. Like I wrote earlier today, GM and Ford look reasonably prepared for a fuel spike, but could FCA survive a 30+% drop in

GM is fighting a losing battle . These pickups will offer a true intermediate capability that the Big 2 and Fiat Ram can't match. @BAF0, The topic is GM ' s next gen HD, Ford and Ram. They are made in USA. Mexico make good Ford GM and Ram pickups too.

GM , Ford and Ram pickup trucks competing for top spot - autoweek.com

Pickup Battle Royale on the horizon. GM advances in pickup segment, but competition from Ford and Ram is still stiff. 2016 Ford F-150 Limited. "We think we're going to have a really strong February and [are] He says GM won't offer big incentives in part because it has relatively lean inventories.

GM Is Years Behind Ford In The Battle To Build The Next Great - www.bullfax.com

Together, the GM and Ford pickups account for nearly 10 percent of total U. S . vehicle sales. DETROIT: General Motors Co offered a sneak peek on Saturday of the next generation Chevrolet Silverado pickup , designed to haul big payloads of profits for the automaker when it launches next

General Motors and Ford will have two very different strategies for the next generation of new Let The Mid-Size Pickup Battle Begin: Ford Reveals 2019 Ranger To Take On Chevrolet Colorado. GM has been turning out some really nice products, but so is everybody! There are really no “bad”

Whats so big about compact PICKUPS ? Compact pickups are sometimes looked down upon by the rest of truck buyers. So why exactly is Ford not bringing a small pickup here, while GM is? That means the compact pickup battle will be on in 2014, but without Ford taking on Chevy, Nissan

2018 is going to be a pickup truck battle royale between Ford , GM - autoweek.com

But the competition will be even more heated in 2018 as Ford , General Motors and FCA US pursue new "What's interesting is that all three pickups are really deviating from each other. Alan Batey, president of GM ' s North America operations, said the automaker' s next -generation pickup will have

The GM mids should really help them with the combined numbers. They are not going after traditional truck buyers, but car and SUV buyers. General Motors sold more pickups than the Ford Motor Company. Ford and Ram are losing the battle big time!

The NFL owners passed a new rule concerning the national anthem on Wednesday morning, which says that players can choose not to be on the field during the anthem but those that are on the field must stand, among other things. This new rule generated all sorts of headlines nationally as […]

You can’t avoid surprise medical bills even with a “PhD in surprise billing.”“The thing I remember most was my lips were caked in blood and super dry,” Kohan says. “My head was throbbing, so I touched the top of my head, and I could feel staples […]

Social activist and blogger Shaun King published an article which addressed Dixon-Cole's allegations.Sherita Dixon-Cole, a 37-year-old woman from Northeast Texas, was pulled over early Sunday by a Department of Public Safety officer who suspected her of driving […]

Paul Krugman is joining a growing contingent of economists and money managers from Carmen Reinhart to Mark Mobius in warning of a meltdown in emerging markets. The Nobel Prize-winning economist said the current episode bears some resemblance to the Asian financial crisis in the late […]

A French family made the discovery everyone who cleans out their attic secretly hopes for: a priceless work of art overlooked for decades. After finding an intricately decorated porcelain vase in an old shoebox, the owners took it to Sotheby's Paris to be appraised, whereupon the […]

Man who impersonated an ICE agent to impress friends and family is sentenced to 2 years in federal prison, prosecutors sayJohnston, after all, wore a uniform. His tactical vest bore “ICE” and “Federal Agent” patches, and he carried an ICE Counter Terrorist Unit […]

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The families of two victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting on Wednesday sued the maker and seller of the weapon used in the rampage, claiming they should be held partially responsible for what Nikolas Cruz did with it. The parents of Jaime Guttenberg and […]